Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Abominant - Onward To Annihilation

Abominant is a band that is a true testament to the enduring
strength of metal. They’ve been around since 1993 and have put out 10 albums of
death/black metal, and perhaps the most amazing thing about this is that I have
never heard their name until this newest release, “Onward to Annihilation”. It’s
unfortunate that bands can soldier on this long without much recognition, but
it also shows an incredible amount of dedication towards making great music,
and “Onward to Annihilation” is just that.

The most amazing thing about this release is its sheer
diversity. Sometimes death and black metal bands put themselves into a hole:
constant tremolo-picking, endless blastbeats, boring music. Abominant, however,
combined these two subgenres in a way that accentuates the diversity of each
subgenre. “Conquerors of Dust” displays epic riffing that is taken from melodic
death metal. Meanwhile, it also manages to mix in sinister-sounding riffs along
with demonic vocals. Other tracks, like “Onward To Annihilation” show an
Immortal influence as they utilize very dissonant, cold chord patterns. Perhaps
the only outlier (aside from "Hold Your Ground"; more on that later) is the Hypocrisy cover, “Left To Rot” (strangely sitting at
track number 3), but they even manage to make this track their own. Another
incredible aspect of “Onward to Annihilation” is the excellent pacing. There is
plenty of fast stuff, but it is by no means overwhelming. The band often adds
half-time feels (see “We Are Coming”), and puts in slower sections when
necessary. Just when you think the band couldn’t possibly add any more unique
elements to their sound, they come out with “Hold Your Ground”. This track is
Motorhead on steroids. The opening riff is pure NWOBHM-goodness (played at
double speed, of course). The vocals are noticeably cleaner, to the point where
this song sounds like an entirely different band. This is the type of track
that reminds me of why I love metal so much; it’s just pure energy and
aggression. As soon as this song ends, however, they’re right back to the extreme
sound they molded on the first five tracks (though “Beside The Dying Flame”
actually opens with a doomier passage). This album may only be 8 tracks, but it
truly feels like a journey through much of what metal has to offer.

To say Abominant’s “Onward to Annihilation” stands out from
the crowd is an understatement. There’s something for all fans of extreme metal
on this album, and it’s hard to see anyone not liking it. If death metal these
days often bores you, give a listen to Abominant to get reinvigorated on the subgenre.